halpThe Magicians and Magik
Author's note: Season 2 (yea!). This takes pace right after the third episode, but I have watched the episode 4 (the latest as of this writing).
Part 6a: Lost…
Spreadsheet…
Quentin Coldwater was staring at an excel spreadsheet in his office. He had been staring at it for the last fifteen minutes or so. It was something to do with cell phone expenses for all the employees of Paxco, the company he was currently working at; the job had been arranged by Dean Fogg.
Paxco was one of the companies who were aligned with many of the magical folk. Although aligned is kind of strong, more of a dumping group for students and magical society members who wished to turn their backs upon magic.
Quentin was in a sweet private office for a new hire (again that dumping group thing). The walls were white, he had a nice glass desk with a 27 inch monitor, leather couch, fireplace (which was lit), and a frosted glass door that could be locked so as to ensure privacy.
Quentin was more then a little underemployed as truth be told (again that dumping ground thing). He had a cold cup of coffee from Keurig coffee pod machine in the break room and a half eaten egg sausage croissant from the little food shop on the first floor.
And no… the spreadsheet was not very fascinating but Quentin was lost in thought. Lost until he saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his left eye. His eyes glanced slightly left and observed a small purple dragon's head hungrily eyeing his breakfast sandwich. Said dragon being perched on the back of his office chair.
That's when he heard the slurp. Something had slurped and it was over by the couch which was obscured by his monitor. He slowly shifted his body to the right to peer around the monitor, and of course his eyes shifted as well. He felt the dragon's head snap forward on its long neck and his breakfast sandwich was gone from his hand.
He paid the loss of his meal no mind as his eyes cleared the monitor and he now observed professor Magik sitting on his couch drinking from a coffee cup (Tea not coffee).
She smiled as he saw her. "About time, I've been here for over five minutes Mr. Coldwater". Quentin couldn't help but slightly reflect that professor Magik had not bothered to rebuke the small dragoon… Lockheed, that was the little beast's name, for snatching his food.
Part 6b: Company man
"Nice office". Spoke professor Magik while glancing around the room.
"Why are you here professor Magik"?
Magik continued to glance about the room. "Nice and… discrete. Do you… you know…". Magik made a hand gesture as if she was milking a cow or yanking one something. Which of course just appalled Quentin.
"Do I what"? Was his protesting question. She couldn't mean…
Professor Magik just smirked a bit as she replied. And the little dragon was looking at him with an expression Quentin swore looked sarcastic.
"Spank the monkey, beat the bishop, tug of ware with Cyclops, taming the shrew, flipping the switch, paddling the pink canoe, roughing up the suspect, You know… masturbate".
"NO! Why does everybody keep asking that"!
Lockheed just snorted out a disbelieving grunt and took to the air to then land on Magik's shoulder. She replied as she scratched the dragon under the chin.
"Didn't know that others asked… kind of the vib I suppose. Lots of magical dropouts and burnouts here and… well… sometimes the hands need something to do".
Quentin rubbed his face with both hands. "Dean Fogg sent you didn't he".
"He didn't send me, nobody sends me… he asked that I check in on you".
"Why? Is this going to be some king of pep talk? Get me back up on the horse as it were"?
"No… (slurp)… don't really do that kind of thing. Not very good at it anyway. Was her dismissal. "Can't believe you drink Keurig coffee. Yuck! I have a coffee snob of a friend and she'd kill anybody who tried to serve her such swill".
Quentin defended his beverage choice. "It's hot… well it was hot, brown, and caffeinated".
Magik wasn't having any of that. "So is the excrement of some magical creatures, you don't see me putting it in a cup and drinking it. Get up, time for lunch".
Quentin tried to sullenly hold his ground. "I'm not hungry".
"Didn't ask… now getup".
Quentin finally compiled and Magik took him to her favorite New Orleans breakfast shop, the one with the great pancakes. Ahhh the advantages of being a teleporter.
Part 6c: Pancakes are good
Ok, the pancakes were really good… but Quentin wasn't going to give Magik the satisfaction of him saying it. And the coffee was a lot better as well. Quentin finally put down his fork and asked a question.
"You ever… lose anybody? I barely know you so saying that you don't know what I'm feeling feels… wrong".
Magik sighed. Well… he was bound to ask she supposed to her self. "Yes Quentin I have lost those I love".
It took a second for Quentin to realize what has just happened. "Hey… you called by my first name".
Magik replied as if she was brushing it off. "I generally try not to name the food or lab animals. Same kind of holds true for minor apprentices, plus it's best to avoid any entanglements with someone you might decided to later kill".
Quentin stayed on target. "You just called me Quentin".
'Yes Quentin, I called you by your first name, congrats, I guess you got the big promotion".
Quentin suddenly got self conscious. 'It's just… well… it's kind a big thing for me. Did you ever call the others by their first names"?
Magik replied gently. "Only Alice".
Quentin went back to being morose and looked down upon his half eaten stack of pancakes. "And she's dead and I killed her".
Magik gave him an odd stare that Quentin didn't notice. "Alice is dead because she was consumed by magic, became a Niffin and lost most of her humanity in the process I might add. Kind of an occupational hazard for us demons".
Quentin went on. "And I killed her when I unleashed the demon that was imprisoned within the tattoo on my back".
Magik opened her mouth but then closed it.
Quentin finished. "No one can bring her back".
Magik was a bit harsh in her response. "That's a rather absolute statement and surprisingly ignorant of you".
Quentin jerked his head up. "Can you"?
Magik was in lecture mode. "Magic Mr. Quentin Coldwater. Magic is about the impossible. Just because you can't do something or don't currently know how to do something does not mean something is not possible".
Quentin was a bit teary eyed and choked up as he replied. "Is… Is she… really dead"?
"Yep… fried herself to save you. You people really need to learn battle magic. Has its uses... But nooo…. Big magical liberal university knows better then the dimensional traveling demon sorceress".
The conversation rather died at that point, and so did Quentin's sudden appetite.
Professor Magik paid and then took him back to his office where Quentin was to later muse upon her words.